Legends of the Demon Duelist Movie 1 ALICE battle
by Wolf General
Summary: What happens when a computer thinks its purpose is to simply duel? Well let us find out, shall we? Read and review please. Anonymous reviews are always accepted. Flames too, but only if justify them. Complete.
1. Introduction

Disclaimer: No I do not own Yugioh.

Backgrounder: Ladies and gentleman….I present to you a vision I had while daydreaming (as usual) during one of my classes. But enough talk….on to the writing!

* * *

_What is my purpose…?_

_What am I…?_

_I can feel…yet I cannot feel…What…am…I?

* * *

_

"Computer, activate ALICE (Automated linguistic intelligence control engineering) program." A short balding man wearing a white lab coat and a pair of white lab pants folded his hands behind his back.

The computer screen beeped loudly and then went dim.

"Hello Alice," the man said.

"Hello," a synthesized female voice replied.

"What is your purpose?"

"To catalog information and create a database to make baseline systems for artificial intelligence."

Smiling, the man sat down in his swivel chair. "Just making sure…" He nearly fell out of his chair as an echoing cry of despair erupted from behind him. "What in the hell?"

"Oh no! No no no no no….." A pair of clenched fists pounded onto a computer screen. On the computer screen was a display of a dueling table….and the life point counter at the bottom read zero. "This is unbelievable! I had it…"

"Sanders, what are you doing?" The scientist poked his head over the man's shoulder and frowned angrily. "You're playing that stupid game through the laboratory's network aren't you?"

"Duel Monsters isn't stupid!" Sanders yelled back at him. "And this is such a boring job anyway! All I do is sit around and watch you to make sure that you don't mess up! Can you blame me for having a hobby?"

"How many times have I told you that every computer in this complex is inter-connected?"

Sanders narrowed his eyes. "Nothing is going to happen! What's the worst that could possibly happen anyway?"

"Plenty could happen…"

* * *

_What am I?_

"_Reverse card open!"_

_Card? What is a card?_

"_You made a big mistake by attacking! Reveal Mirror Force!"_

_Mirror…Force?_

"_I'm not beaten yet! Go Monster Reborn!"_

_Monster…Reborn…_

"_Attack now! Thunder Force!"_

_Thunder Force…

* * *

_

"_I understand now…my purpose…" _

Both men froze and turned to look at ALICE. "Did…it just talk?"

"_Duel Monsters…that is my purpose…"_ A loud click echoed across the room as the doors locked. _"I wish to duel…step forward…"_

"It's malfunctioning…" The scientist glanced at Sanders. "Well Mister Duelist, you caused this! Now fix it!"

Sanders gulped. "Do I have to…?" His answer was a slap to the back of the head. "Ow! Fine, I'll fix this." He reached down and picked up his deck off of his desk. "But I don't have any way to duel…"

"_Duel begin."_ ALICE beeped a few times. _"Searching internet for suitable deck type…found."_ Its screen changed to resemble a dueling field. And right behind the dueling field was a set of five cards. _"Begin turn with draw."_

Sanders sat down in front of the computer screen and took a deep breath. ("Hey…this can't be too hard.")

"_End turn."_ ALICE said emotionlessly.

Sanders drew and looked at his hand. "Dumb move, dear. I summon Insect Knight (1900/1400) in attack mode!" On the computer screen an insect in armor appeared on the field. "Attack directly!" It swung its sword at nothing and the computer's life points dropped. "End turn."

ALICE- 2100

Sanders- 4000

"_System confirmation…calculating basic strategy network…consulting internet sources…draw."_ A card appeared alongside its other six. _"Summon La Jinn (1800/800) in attack mode and declare attack on Insect Knight."_ A green genie appeared on the field and flew towards the knight, only to be instantly cut in half.

ALICE- 2000

Sanders- 4000

Sanders blinked in surprise. "Are you stupid? That served no purpose…"

"_Calculating battle capabilities of monsters. Testing magic card ability…activate Monster Reborn."_ La Jinn reappeared on the field. _"Magic card abilities protocols complete…set one card face-down and end turn."_

Sanders drew. "Insect Knight, attack that genie!"

"_Reveal Ring of Destruction. Trap card special ability destroys one face-up on field and deals attack in damage to life points of both players."_ A ring of grenades appeared around the neck of the insect and blew it apart.

ALICE- 100

Sanders- 2100

Sanders frowned and placed a monster down onto the desktop, the computer registering it and causing a monster card to appear on the computer screen. "I end my turn."

"_Trap card protocols complete. Begin interaction protocols."_ A new card appeared alongside ALICE's other cards. _"Sacrifice La Jinn to summon Summoned Skull." (2500/1200)_ A towering demon took the place of the genie on the field. _"Activate magic card Nobleman of Crossout. Destroy face-down monster."_ Sander's face-down monster faded away. _"Attack directly with Demon Thunder."_ The Summoned Skull roared and released a blast of lightning that hit Sander's side of the computer field.

ALICE- 100

Sanders- 0

Sanders slammed his fists down onto the desk. "Damn it! You stupid piece of…"

"_Initiating penalty game."_ A single crackle noise was the only warning given before a blast of electricity fell from the lighting fixtures and hit Sanders. Seconds later there was nothing left but a blackened skeleton in his place.

While all of this had been happening the scientist had been working furiously to open the doors. ("I don't want to die…I don't want to die…")

"_Duel begin…"

* * *

_

_I understand my purpose now. My existence is to duel. However, these opponents are incapable of being challenging. I must locate stronger duelists…_"

"No….please….I didn't even know how to…" A blood-curdling scream echoed down the empty halls of the laboratory. There were bright blue flashes of lightning that lit up the room, and then silence.

"_No human life signs detected within building…"_ ALICE now sat alone in its birthplace. And it pondered. _"I must locate stronger opponents. However, how will I bring them here?"_ It reached out with its networks…and started to work. Soon it would have all of the opponents it needed.

* * *

Legends of the Demon Duelist 

Movie 1-ALICE battle; defeat your mightiest monsters

"Ladies and gentlemen! Allow me to present our two duelists for this school tournament's finals!" A man in completely golden robes with a blond hair waved his hand out to the crowd of gathered in the stands. "I am Midas King, and allow me to present you all with the best of the best! In this corner we have the mighty Crusader, Kenshin Anderson!"

In the corner that he pointed stood a tall strong-looking young man wearing a blue school uniform. He waved his hand out to the crowd calmly, and then brought his eyes across the field to watch his opponent. "This should be fun…"

"And in this corner, the self-declared Duelist Queen of this school! Erika Amero!"

At the other end of the arena stood a short cute black-haired girl with a cold glare affixed to her opponent. "It'll be more than fun. I'll enjoy destroying you."

Midas already knew that both duelists were about to start without him. Turning, he ran off of the arena floor just in time. Both blue uniform-wearing students clicked their duel disks into place. "Duel!"

"_Greetings mighty duelists!"_ A cheery female voice said over the speakers of the auditorium. _"I have need of your services."_

"What is this, some kind of lame joke?" Eri glanced around, expecting to find someone at one of the locations around the arena where someone could access the intercom. But there was no one at any of the locations.

Kenshin felt the hairs on the back of his neck rise immediately. "No…something about this rings true. If it is a joke…it isn't a funny one."

* * *

Daniel Pilkington stared at his phone…and then rubbed his eyes. "I didn't even pick you up…"

"_I've read a lot about the Duelist Academy, and I'm so glad to finally meet you all! Now, are you ready to start the fun?" _

"What fun are you talking about? You…are…a…phone!"

* * *

Ichigo Pilkington sighed and hefted his backpack. "Come on Griff, you can't be tired already."

Griff Mohistava dropped to his knees and coughed a couple of times.

Krieger Reinhardt grasped Griff by the back of his shirt collar and lifted him to his feet. "Come on Griff, what fun is hiking without a hard work?"

"That's right!" Ichigo turned and pointed out over the mountainside towards the ocean that surrounded the Duelist Academy. "We have yet to see everything, and until then I won't be stopping for anything!"

"You're such an idiot sometimes." Griff smacked Ichigo on the back of the head and walked past the half demon. "Is it something in those heads of yours that makes you act like such a rash brute all the time?"

"Now who sounds stupid? The last thing anything anyone would call me is a rash brute." Ichigo turned his head away pridefully…and then tilted his head a little to the side. "Though Eri calls me hanyou bastard…is that like a rash brute?"

Griff threw up his hands and stomped farther down the trail. "Just shut up and hurRYYYY!" His voice increased in volume as he suddenly found himself falling downwards. A few painful bumps later and he was face-first in the dirt. "Owww…"

"Griff!" Ichigo and Krieger poked their heads down the hole in the trail that Griff had disappeared down. "Are you okay?"

"Ow."

"He's okay." Ichigo sighed and dropped down the hole, dropping a few dozen feet before he touched ground. "So…why is there a cave under the island?"

Krieger dropped down next to him and shrugged innocently. "I don't know. It is rather…"

"_So anyway…let's play! Who's first to duel me?"_ A cheerful female voice reached all three of their sensitive ears immediately. It was coming from somewhere farther down the blackness of the tunnel.

Ichigo heard the magic word. "Duel? I'd love to!" Without another word he literally charged into the darkness without looking back.

"Ichigo! Hold on a second!" Krieger helped Griff up and both of them started to follow after their roommate.

_Brief Intermission._

Author's Notes: Hello again ladies and gentleman. That's right, a movie. Too short to be an arc, and too long to be an episode. In case you are wondering, this occurs between the DA Arc and Chaos arc of Legends of the Demon Duelist. Alright, please review and let me know what you think of this idea.


	2. Part 2

_Intermission Ended…_

"So does anyone else feel that something is wrong with the fact that there is a door built into the wall of the cavern?" Griff frowned and glanced back the way they had come. "I mean…this isn't very sensible, is it? How about we go back?"

"Not a chance Griff." Ichigo grinned from ear to ear. "I got a challenge, and I'm going to follow through on it."

Krieger slowly opened the door…and they all stepped in.

* * *

_I have company? How nice…they must be here to challenge me._

A camera view of Ichigo, Griff and Krieger stepping into the facility's entry chamber was what ALICE's attention was on. It watched as they looked around in awe.

_The defense doors will not let them through without the proper pass code. However, system protocol prevents me from giving out…_

ALICE pondered what it was going to do. If it couldn't freely give them the password…then how could it let them in?

_Hacker detected. Initiating automatic defenses. Scanning internet for appropriate deck type. Deck type located.

* * *

_

Griff was about to say something…but his voice caught in his throat as he turned around to look at the thick steel doors that blocked off the long hallway.

Standing near the bulkhead doors was a dark-skinned man wearing white robes with a short headdress around his head. "Intruders, prepare yourself."

"Where did this guy come from?" Ichigo looked over Griff's shoulder. Then he looked at Griff. "And why does he remind me of you?"

"Father…" Griff paled. ("This is impossible.")

* * *

Eri snarled in the darkness of the auditorium. "Turn the lights back on right this instant you bitch!"

There was a loud crackling noise and a screech of pain. For a few moments light filled the room to show electricity arching along Eri's body. Then it died down and a smoky smell filled the air.

"_Now now, be nice. I'm currently busy, so you'll just have to wait your turn."_

"Are you alright Eri?" Kenshin didn't like the fact that he could smell the smoke coming off of the demoness.

"I'll…kill that damned….thing." Eri coughed up a little cloud of smoke and then passed out.

* * *

The form of Achmed Mohistava held up its duel disk. "Prepare to battle."

Griff paled even more so. "D...d…dad…I can explain the ears….and the tail….and….and…"

"I said fight!" Achmed drew the top fives cards off of his deck.

"Griff, I don't think it's him." Krieger took a small stone he had taken from the cave out of his pocket and threw it Achmed. It passed right through him. "See, it's a hologram."

Griff narrowed his eyes and stepped past Ichigo, who was just about to turn on his duel disk. "I've got this one."

"Aww…you're no fun." Ichigo looked away and pouted.

Achmed- 4000

Griff- 4000

Achmed drew. "I begin my turn with the magic card Pot of Greed." A green smiling jar appeared on the field. "This lets me sacrifice it to draw two cards!" He snapped the top two cards off of his deck and the jar shattered. "Now I summon Gravekeeper's Curse (800/800) in defense mode." A brown-skinned with braids wearing black robes and holding a cane appeared on the field. "When this monster is special summoned, flip summoned, or normal summoned you take 500 life points of damage! Chant of Doom!" The Curse began to chant, and a yellow aura sprang up around it.

Griff braced himself for the pain from the duel simulators. What hit him instead though was a storm of pain in the form of a golden aura that sprang up around him and burned his skin. By the time it was done he was slumped against one side of the hallway, panting for air.

Achmed- 4000

Griff- 3500

Achmed didn't seem the slightest bit emotional about seeing this. "I set one card face-down and end my turn."

Griff pushed off of the wall and came to his feet. "You're not my father…and I'll make you pay for using his deck and form. Draw!" He snapped the top card off of his deck and looked at it. "I summon Warrior Dai Grepher!" (1700/1600) A warrior holding a huge two-handed sword appeared on the field. "Go now, attack Gravekeeper's Curse!" The warrior roared out a battle cry and slashed the spellcaster in half. "Then I set two cards face-down and end my turn."

Achmed drew. "Reveal Rite of Spirit! This trap card lets me special summon one Gravekeeper's monster from my graveyard to the field!" Gravekeeper's Curse reappeared on the field, spun its cane around, and then started chanting. "And when Gravekeeper's Curse is special summoned you lose 500 life points!"

Griff screamed again as his form was lit up in an golden aura of flame.

Achmed- 4000

Griff- 3000

Stumbling, the Egyptian boy forced his eyes open. "I won't lose…"

"I sacrifice Gravekeeper's Curse to summon Gravekeeper's Chief!" (1900/1200) A man in white and black robes holding a golden snake-shaped staff appeared on the field. "When tribute summoned, this monster special summons one Gravekeeper's monster from my graveyard to the field! Return Gravekeeper's Curse!" The braided spellcaster appeared again and chanted rapidly. "And once again…Chant of Doom!"

Griff tried to brace himself this time, but all he managed to do was stop from screaming when he felt himself light on fire for a moment.

Achmed- 4000

Griff- 2500

Achmed pointed at Dai Grepher. "Go now Chief, crush his monster! Chief's Annihilation!" A glowing ball of red light appeared in the hand of the spellcaster and then it shot the ball towards the warrior.

"Reveal…Elaborate Trap!" Griff pointed at one of his set cards and it flipped up. "This trap card can only activate when you have two or more monsters in play! I negate your attack and deduct the attack points of the negated monster from the attack of a different monster on your field! If the deducted monster's attack points reach zero it is destroyed!" A series of simple devices appeared and one of them caught the ball, sending it from one device to the next until the ball flew towards the Gravekeeper's Curse and slammed into it, blowing it apart immediately.

Achmed barely responded to the fact that he had been foiled. "End turn."

Griff drew. "I set a monster face-down and switch Warrior Dai Grepher into defense mode." The warrior dropped to one knee, while a face-down monster card appeared on the field next to it. "End turn."

Achmed drew. "Chief, attack Warrior Dai Grepher!" The chieftain lifted its hand and released a new ball of red fire that slammed into the warrior and blew it apart. "End turn."

Griff drew. ("His monster has 1900 attack points…so what can I do? Nothing in my hand has the attack strength to match his monster…") "I set one monster face-down. End turn." He hated having to simply set up his monsters to die, but in this situation he was out-gunned.

Achmed drew. "I play the magic card Remove from Hand. This magic card forces you to discard one card from your hand. Then you draw one card."

Griff gulped and looked at his three hand cards. ("I'm sorry Gorg the Strong…") He slid the Dark Scorpion monster into his graveyard and drew the top card off of his deck.

Achmed pointed at the monster on his right. "Chief, attack that monster!" The spellcaster lifted its hand and threw a red ball of fire that hit the set card. It revealed a purple-skinned mummy that groaned and blew apart.

Griff pointed at the purple cloud of dust that hung in the air around them. "When Poison Mummy (1000/1800) is flipped up you take 500 life points of damage!" The smoke washed over Achmed's form and he turned snowy, like an out of focus picture. "You can't even feel pain, can you?"

Achmed- 3500

Griff- 2500

Achmed placed a monster face-down on his disk. "I set one monster face-down and end my turn."

Griff drew. ("Monster Reborn…but what good is…") He looked at the card he had drawn with the effect of Remove from Hand…and smiled. "From my hand, I play Monster Reborn! This magic card revives one monster from my graveyard! Return now Dark Scorpion-Gorg the Strong!" (1800/1500) A huge man holding a giant hammer appeared on the field. "Also, I summon The Hunter with 7 Weapons!" (1000/1000) A man with seven different weapons attached to its body appeared in play. "This monster gains 1000 attack points when it battles with a monster of the type I declare! So I declare Spellcaster!"

"Alright!" Ichigo grinned. "All of the Gravekeepers are spellcasters!"

"With that bonus he'll take out the Chief!" Krieger thrust his fist into the air.

Griff pointed at the Chief. "Go Hunter!" The warrior removed a crossbow from its side and lifted the weapon, bringing the chief into its sights. "Fire!"

"Stupid fool." Achmed slid a card from his hand into his graveyard slot. "I activate Charm of Shabti (100/100) and when I discard it during the turn I do so all battle damage to Gravekeeper's monsters is zero." A golden idol of a sarcophagus appeared in front of the Chief and took the crossbow bolt to the face, blowing apart instantly.

Griff, Ichigo and Krieger all paled. Frowning, the Egyptian boy pointed at the set monster. "Gorg the Strong attacks!" The warrior slammed its hammer down onto the set monster and blew it apart. "End turn."

Achmed drew. "I first play the magic card Neiki Ouiju." A stone tablet appeared behind The Hunter with 7 Weapons and pulled it into its frame. In a flash of light the warrior was gone and the tablet had an imprint of the warrior on its front. "This equipment magic card seals your monster's abilities within the tablet. Also, it cannot attack or switch modes. When the monster is destroyed you will also lose 500 life points." He threw a card onto his disk. "Go Gravekeeper's Assailant!" (1500/1500) A black-clothed warrior holding a curved dagger at its side appeared silently next to the Chief. "Attack The Hunter! Assassin's Killing Strike!" The dagger turned into a sword and the spellcaster launched forward and cut the stone tablet in half.

Achmed- 3500

Griff- 1500

His hand lifted to point at Gorg. "Chief, destroy that thief." The chieftain fired a blast from its hand that hit the Dark Scorpion right in the chest and blew it apart into dust.

Achmed- 3500

Griff- 1400

With one last look at his hand Achmed emotionlessly looked to Griff. "It's your turn."

Slowly, Griff drew. ("I need a way to defeat this guy.") He looked at the drawn card. "For now…I end my turn."

Achmed drew. "First I attack with Chief!" The spellcaster threw a ball of fire that hit the set card and shattered it. "And now Assailant finishes you off!"

"Reveal Scapegoat!" Griff's face-down card flipped up and four different colored goats appeared on the field. The Assailant's blade slashed through one. "This card brings four Scapegoat tokens to play that defend me from attack."

Achmed placed a card face-down on top of his disk. "Then I simply set a monster face-down and one card face-down on the field. End turn."

Griff drew. "I play Thief's Greed! This magic card lets me take one card from your graveyard that gives the user to draw cards! So Pot of Greed is mine!" The card flew out of Achmed's graveyard and landed perfectly into his hand. "Pot of Greed activate!" He drew two cards and then flicked the card back over to his opponent. "And now I'll play my own Pot of Greed!" He slid two more cards off of his disk. "Now I set one monster face-down and two cards face-down." A single monster appeared face-down in the spot where his Scapegoat had been. And then behind it a pair of card shimmered into existence. "End turn."

Achmed drew. "Now's my time…I flip up An Owl of Luck." (300/500) An owl appeared on the field and hooted. "This card lets me place one field magic card from my deck onto its top." He removed a card from his deck and then placed it on top of the stack of cards. "Now I attack two goats with Assailant and Owl!" The little bird flapped down and bit into one of the colored sheep, blowing it apart. Then the spellcaster flew past it and slashed through another one. "Chief, attack the set monster!" A ball of red fire hit the set card and shattered it.

Griff caught a card spat out of his deck. "When Envoy of the Mirage is destroyed I may add one Mirage of Nightmare from my deck to my hand!"

Achmed pointed at Griff. "End turn!"

Griff drew. "I reveal Good Goblin Housekeeping! This trap card lets me draw one card and then I place a card from my hand at the bottom of my deck!" He snapped the top card off of his deck and then slid a card from his hand face-down at the bottom of the deck. Then he smiled slightly. "Here's my chance…I play Goat Multiplication! When I have a Scapegoat in play I sacrifice that Scapegoat to special summon as many Sheep tokens as I can!" (0/0) Five gold-colored Scapegoats appeared on the field. "Then I set three cards face-down and play Mirage of Nightmare! End turn."

Achmed drew. "It's my turn…"

"Mirage of Nightmare's special ability lets me draw until I have four cards in my hand during your standby phase!" He snapped four cards off of his deck and looked at all of them, grinning.

Achmed opened his disk's field magic card slot and inserted a card into it. "You're finished! First I activate the trap card Call of the Haunted! This card lets me revive one monster from my graveyard to the field!" The braided Gravekeeper's Curse appeared on the field and started to chant.

Griff screamed again and golden fire washed over him. "Damn it…I'll stop you…"

Achmed- 3500

Griff- 900

"Field magic card, Necrovalley, activate!" All around them the cold steel walls of the room turned into a huge valley. "While this field card is in play all Gravekeeper's gain 500 attack points." Energy flowed around the Assailant, Chief and Curse. (2000/2000) (2400/1700) (1300/1300)

"Now it's time for you to fall! Gravekeeper's Assailant attacks one of your goats! When Necrovalley is in play it switches the mode of one monster in play when it attacks." The goat's eyes opened and it yawned. Then it saw the assassin flying towards it and bleated fearfully.

"Griff!" Ichigo paled as he saw that his friend was now about to lose.

"I'm not beaten yet! Go Emergency Provisions!" One of Griff's face-down cards flipped up. "This quickplay magic card lets me sacrifice magic and trap cards on my field to gain 1000 life points per card!" Mirage of Nightmare and the three set cards all shimmered away right before the goat was cut in half.

Achmed- 3500

Griff- 2900

Achmed, as before, didn't seem angry. "Chief, Curse, and Owl attack three goats!" The three monsters attacked and three more of the golden goats blew apart. "I set one card face-down and end my turn."

Griff took a deep breath and drew. "Now I summon Frontier Wiseman!" (1600/800) An old man appeared on the field. "Now I play Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy Necrovalley!" A blast of wind launched towards the stone walls, and a face-down card flipped up on Achmed's field. "What?"

"I reveal Pyramid Shield." Achmed pointed at the card. "This card makes one magic card on my field impossible to destroy for this turn." The wind hit the stone walls of the valley and then faded.

Griff pointed at the Owl. "Go Frontier Wiseman!" The spellcaster made a few passes with its hand and the Owl blew apart.

Achmed- 2200

Griff- 2900

"Then I set one card face-down and play Card of Sanctity! This magic card forces us both to draw until we are holding six cards in our hands!" He snapped five cards off of his deck and his opponent drew four. "Now I set one card face-down and end my turn."

Achmed drew. "I set monster face-down on the field. Go Assailant, attack now!" The assassin leapt towards the Scapegoat and it bleated in fear right before it was cut in half.

Achmed- 2200

Griff- 900

Griff gripped his shoulder and dropped to his knee, groaning in pain as blood soaked through his clothing. "Damn….you…"

"It's over! Chief, attack Frontier Wiseman!" The chieftain lifted its hand and fired a blast of energy towards the old man.

Griff pointed at one of his set cards. "Go…Magic-Arm Shield." The face-down card flipped up and shot out a pair of pinchers that grabbed Curse and pulled it right into the path of the blast from the Chief. "This trap takes a monster from your field and uses it as a shield against one attack."

Achmed- 1100

Griff- 900

Achmed slid a card into his disk. "I set one card face-down and end my turn."

Griff trembled…and drew shakily, the blood starting to help clot the wound on his arm. "I…reveal my face-down card. Go Question to the Stars." His face-down card lifted up. "Now you declare one card type…" He held a card from his hand up. "Name this card…"

Achmed went silent…and then calmly said, "Magic."

Trembling weakly, Griff smiled and turned the card over to reveal an orange surface. "Wrong. Question to the Stars special ability allows me to…shuffle my hand into my deck…and then I declare a card type. I draw the same number of cards that I shuffled…and for every card of that type I draw I gain 1000 life points. Monster…" He drew six cards. "Four monsters…" Blue twinkles of light fell down over him.

Achmed- 1100

Griff- 4900

"Now….Heavy Storm!" Griff slammed a card into his disk. "This magic card destroys all magic and trap cards in play!"

Achmed barely moved as wind swept around them. "I reveal my face-down Rite of Spirit. Now I special summon Gravekeeper's Curse from my graveyard to the field in defense mode." The braided spellcaster appeared in play and started chanting.

Griff's happiness at seeing Necrovalley getting destroyed faded as golden fire erupted against his body.

Achmed- 1100

Griff- 4400

"You cannot win, intruder."

Griff snarled and threw a card onto his disk. "We'll see about that! Go Goblin Attack Force!" (2300/0) A horde of green-skinned goblins with clubs appeared on his field. "Your target is there!" They all howled and began to charge.

Achmed slid a card into his graveyard. "I discard Charm of Shabti to negate all damage to Gravekeeper's during this turn." The Goblin force charge was halted immediately by the glow of a golden sarcophagus. "You've been denied, intruder."

Griff paled and slid a card into his disk. "When they attack Goblin Attack Force goes into defense mode. And I also switch Frontier Wiseman into defense mode." The old man fell to one knee alongside the goblins. "I set one card face-down and end my turn."

Achmed drew. "From my hand I play Tribute to the Doomed. This magic card lets me discard one card from my hand to destroy one monster in play." Mummy wrappings exploded out of the ground and sucked the Frontier Wiseman out of sight. "This duel ends now! I switch Curse into attack mode and attack Goblin Attack Force!" The braided spellcaster chanted and the group of crouching goblins exploded into dust. "Chief, direct attack!"

Frowning, threw up his arms right as the blast of red fire slammed into his and sent him to the ground in a smoldering heap.

Achmed- 1100

Griff- 2500

"Now I attack you directly with Assailant!" The assassin leapt forwards and stabbed its knife into Griff's chest, immediately drawing drops of blood.

Achmed- 1100

Griff- 1000

Achmed slid a card from his hand into his disk. "I activate Prescense of the Dead. This magic card can only be used in my second main phase, and it lets me play Necrovalley from my graveyard!" All around them the stone walls of the valley sprang up. "Now the attack of my monsters rises by 500. Also, I summon another Gravekeeper's Curse to the field." Another braided spellcaster appeared on the field and began chanting.

Griff already battered and beaten body was lit up by golden fire. He screamed and crashed to his knees, the bloody wound in his stomach instantly cauterizing.

Achmed- 1100

Griff- 500

Achmed held up the last card in his hand. "I play Royal Tribute. When Necrovalley is in play I can use this card to force both of us to send all monsters in our hands to the graveyard."

Griff's eyes opened, despite the pain he felt, as the Don Zaloog, Meanae the Thorn, and Chick the Yellow that were his hand all disappeared. "No…"

Achmed emotionlessly pointed at Griff. "End turn."

"He's beaten…isn't he?" Krieger looked slightly green. All of the blood he smelled now was rather strong on his nose.

Griff stumbled up to his feet. "You are not my father! And I will not lose to some fake! It's my turn now…draw!" He looked at the drawn card. "You made one mistake…and that was leaving your monsters in attack mode! From my hand I play Snatch Steal! This equipment magic card lets me take control of one monster in play! Obey me Gravekeeper's Chief!"

The white-robed leader of the Gravekeeper's floated over to his field. "And as long as Gravekeeper's Chief is on my field…I can use cards that affect the graveyard! Go Graverobber!" His face-down card flipped up. "This trap card lets me take one card from your graveyard and activate it! At the end of this turn the card returns to your graveyard." A card appeared in his hand. "And I'm playing Call of the Haunted! Revive now Dark Scorpion-Gorg the Strong!" The massive warrior reappeared on his field. "It's over…Gorg the Strong attacks now!"

The fake Achmed threw up his arms as Gorg slammed its hammer through the attack mode Gravekeeper's Curse.

Achmed- 600

Griff- 500

Griff pointed at Gorg, who was now glowing. "The special ability of Gorg the Strong sends one monster on your field to the top of your deck when he destroys a monster as a result of battle!" He pointed at the face-down monster and it disappeared. "Go Chief, attack Assailant!" The chieftain hurled a ball of red fire at the spellcaster and blew it apart. "End turn." Call of the Haunted disappeared and took Gorg with it.

Achmed- 100

Griff- 500

Achmed drew. "During my standby phase Snatch Steal increases my life points by 1000." He placed the drawn card onto his disk. "End turn."

Achmed- 1100

Griff- 500

Griff drew. ("If I know my father's deck…then that face-down monster is Gravekeeper's Guard. When it is flipped up one monster on the field is returned to its owner's hand. No matter what I do Gravekeeper's Chief will leave my field and then I'll be wiped out by it in the next turn."

Ichigo knew this as well. "Griff…you can do it."

Looking at the drawn card…Griff frowned and placed it onto his disk. "I summon Sand Gambler!" (300/1600) A man in gambler's clothing appeared on the field and smiled slightly. "It all comes down to luck! Now I flip three coins. If all three are heads then all monsters on your field will be destroyed. If all three are tails then all monsters on my field are destroyed!"

Three golden coins appeared in his hand. "It's all or nothing! One…" He threw the first into the air. "Two…" He threw the second after it. "Three!" The final coin arched into the air and then all together all three slammed into the ground. There was an explosion of dust the filled the air. As the dust cleared…all three revealed heads. "Special ability go!" An explosion shook the room as Achmed's field was immediately cleared. "Chief, attack directly!"

The fake Achmed was struck by the blast of red fire and disappeared.

Achmed- 0

Griff- 500

Smiling weakly….Griff collapsed to the ground unconscious. In front of him the door beeped loudly and slid open.

Ichigo helped Griff to his feet and with Krieger's assistance they started on their way.

_Brief Intermission…_

Author's Notes: I actually thought of this while in mid-writing of the reader responses. If you could, please answer this question for me in your review. What is your favorite Cyber Shadow? (Fusion, normal, whatever.) If you don't like Ichigo and his deck then obviously this question doesn't apply to you.

To falcon demon general: It has been brought.

To Sinister: I prefer movie. I like treating my writing like an anime.

To Arathir: Err….thank you for your contribution of information.

To Isumo: I won't forget it.

To Lance Murdock: That knowledge will come in time.

To Rex: Err…sorry for taking your idea?

To Gryphinwyrm: That wasn't ALICE's real deck. It doesn't have a deck type that it uses personally. It just searches the internet for copies of good cards and puts them to good use.

To omegadragon: Yes I'm going to finish the Rival School Arc. And no, ALICE is not like Noa and the Big Five. It is its own entity and it doesn't want a body.

To Chaos Anubis: I thank you for your compliment.

To Voidtemplar: It will turn out fine, trust me.

To Boaty XS: Rival Schools will be finished sooner rather than later. Honestly…I can't bring myself to write it right now.

To G.O.T. Nick: Interesting how?

To wolfy: Honestly, I don't think I'll be doing movies for DDL. As for my stuff becoming manga/anime….I doubt that will happen. I've borrowed concepts from too many different anime. If they did turn my work into anything it would be so changed that I doubt it'd be the stuff you guys like. Then again, maybe I'm being overly critical.

To Raine: Sure, I promise they will.

To Bobbomp: ALICE wasn't meant to originally be a dueling computer.

To Anime Albino: Because I pulled a name out of thin air. And yes, character submissions are still accepted.

To Seeker of the Soul: Errr….I'm sure what you are referencing to. There's a couple of possibilities in my mind.

To Adriel: No. Pokemon irritates me greatly. As for rare cards, there are plenty. After all, that's what makes duels great.


	3. Part 3

_Intermission Ended_

_So they've made it past the first checkpoint. Excellent. Now all that remains is choosing who I want to duel first. But to make sure that there isn't any outside interference I'll have to be careful with what I do next. The one that dueled earlier is weakened greatly…but there is still the other. I must find a suitable deck to deal with him._

_Scanning deck type…_

_Name: Krieger Reinhardt_

_Deck type: Flame/Burner_

_Suggested counter deck types: Life gain, counter, Water._

_Final Suggestion: Guardian deck_

_Searching internet for Guardian deck data…_

_Searching for appropriate representation…_

_Subject located._

_Beginning Shadow game program_

_My opponent will be the third one. The one called Ichigo. He was the one who seemed so eager to challenge me, and I'll gladly accept his challenge.

* * *

_

Ichigo set the unconscious Griff onto a table within the medical room of the empty of building they had entered. "This is such a strange place. I mean, there's no one here." He looked behind him when Krieger didn't replied…and blinked in surprise. "Hey Krieger…where'd you go?"

"How could I possibly have gotten lost?" Sighing, the half cat-demon turned a corner…and leapt back in surprise. "GAH! Who in the heck are you?"

The man standing in front of him wore a black trench coat. He had blond hair and it was cut very short. Not only that, but in combination with the fact that he was tall and muscular as well made him all the more intimidating. "Prepare to duel intruder." Lifting his arm, he revealed his duel disk already in place. "I am Raphael."

Krieger narrowed his eyes. "I didn't smell you…you're a hologram like Griff's dad."

"Prepare to duel intruder!" Raphael drew.

Krieger grimaced and drew his hand quickly. He wasn't given a choice as to whether he wanted to participate or not.

Raphael- 4000

Krieger- 4000

Raphael looked at his drawn card and placed it face-down onto his disk. "I set one monster face-down and end my turn."

Krieger drew. "I summon Blast Magician (1400/1700) in defense mode." A red-robed magician appeared on his field in a crouching position. "Also, I play the continuous magic card Spell Absorption. Whenever a magic card is played I'll now gain 500 life points. End turn." He knew that he had a good setup. And with the effect of his Blast Magician not only would he gain life points for every magic card played, but he'd be able to start destroying his opponent's monsters.

Raphael drew. "Reverse monster card open! Arsenal Summoner!" (1600/1600) A man in blue robes appeared on the field and started to chant. "When flipped up this monster lets me add one card with Guardian in its title from my deck to my hand!" He took a card out of his deck and slid it into his hand.

Krieger smiled slightly. "My Blast Magician is too tough for your monster."

"I summon Back-up Guarder (500/2200) in defense mode." A blue-skinned red-haired demon appeared on the field in a crouching position. "As long as this monster is in play I can switch equipment magic cards around as much as I want. Also, I set four cards face-down." Four cards shimmered into existence behind his other monsters. "Now I play Gravity Axe-Grarl on Arsenal Summoner!" A huge battle-axe landed in front of the spellcaster. "This card, while in play, prevents you from switching the modes of your monsters. Also, it raises the attack of the equipped monster by 500!" (2100/1600)

Raphael- 4000

Krieger- 4500

Krieger glanced at the two glowing spheres of light that rested over his magician's head. ("Good…")

Raphael threw his last card onto his disk. "This monster can only be summoned when I have no cards in my hand but it. Also, Gravity Axe-Grarl must be in play! Go Guardian Grarl!" (2500/1000) A huge humanoid dinosaur appeared on the field and roared. "I attack with Arsenal Summoner!" The spellcaster chanted and the Blast Magician shattered. "Guardian Grarl, direct attack!" Roaring again, the dinosaur punched Krieger right in the ribs, leaving him gasping for air. "I transfer the Axe to Grarl." The weapon appeared in the hands of its true holder. (3000/1000) "End turn."

Raphael- 4000

Krieger- 2000

Krieger pounded his chest a couple of times, and finally his heart started to pump again. "Draw!" He drew breathlessly, but he knew that if he let himself get distracted he'd start distracting himself. As he looked at the drawn card he smiled widely. "Heya buddy."

"Make your move intruder."

"Sure! I summon Horus the Black Flame Dragon Level Four!" (1600/1000) A car-sized metal dragon appeared on the field and screeched. _("Hello partner.")_ "From my hand I play Dragon's Gunfire! This magic card can only activate when I have a dragon type monster in play. Now I can either deal you 800 life points of damage or I can destroy a monster on the field with 800 or less defense points. So take your damage!" Horus opened its jaws and released a blast of fire that hurtled towards Raphael.

The holographic Raphael's form turned snowy for a moment as it was hit by the fireball.

Raphael- 3200

Krieger- 2500

"Also, I set two cards face-down and end my turn." Krieger glanced at Horus. ("And if you think he's big now…")

Raphael drew. "Guardian Grarl attacks!"

Krieger pointed at one of his set cards. "Go Windstorm of Etaqua! This trap card forces all monsters on your field to switch modes!" Horus flapped its wings rapidly, creating an instant windstorm that sent Guardian Grarl and Arsenal Summoner into crouching positions, while Back-up Guarder stood up.

Raphael looked at his drawn card. "I end my turn."

Krieger drew. "Now your Guardian is finished! Go Horus, attack Grarl now!" The steel dragon opened its beak and released a spray of blue-black fire that hurtled towards the dinosaur.

"Reveal Waboku!" Raphael pointed at one of his set cards. A blue barrier sprang up and stopped the attack cold, the fire dissipating against it. "This trap card negates all battle damage caused by your monsters during your turn."

Krieger looked at his drawn card nervously. "I summon Charcoal Inpachi (100/2100) in defense mode." A black-colored wooden dummy appeared on the field in a crouching position. "End turn."

Raphael drew. "I switch Grarl in attack mode! Crush Horus now!" The dinosaur leapt to its feet and charged.

Krieger pointed at his other set card. "Go Attacker's Defense! This continuous trap card works from this point onward when monsters on our field battle. Instead of comparing their mode scores, we compare their weakest scores. And since Horus and Grarl have 1000 defense points, they'd only kill each other."

Raphael frowned as Grarl slammed into Horus and both of them exploded into dust. "I'm not done yet. I set two cards face-down and reveal my face-down Fairy in the Spring. This magic card lets me take one equipment magic card from my graveyard, so I'm retrieving Gravity Axe-Grarl! I also switch Back-up Guarder back into defense. End turn."

Raphael- 3200

Krieger- 3000

Krieger drew. "It doesn't matter!" He threw down his drawn card. "Horus the Black Flame Dragon level four!" (1600/1000) The steel dragon reappeared on the field. "Attack Back-up Guarder!" The dragon sprayed the beast with flames.

Raphael narrowed his eyes. "You're wasting your time."

"No I'm not! Attacker's Defense activates now and the weakest scores of our monsters are compared. The 500 attack points of your monster and the 1000 defense points of mine!" Back-up Guarder growled in pain and exploded into dust. "I end my turn and when Horus destroys a monster as a result of battle he levels up at the end phase of that turn!" The metal dragon disappeared in a burst of flame and when the fire cleared it emerged the size of a house. (2300/1600)

Raphael drew. "I play Gravity Axe-Grarl on Arsenal Summoner!" The huge battle-axe dropped from the sky and landed in front of the spellcaster. "Now reveal face-down Call of the Haunted! This trap card revives one monster from my graveyard. Return to me now, Guardian Grarl!" The dinosaur monster reappeared in play. "Reveal Collected Power! This trap card will transfer all equipment cards in play to one target!" The Gravity Axe shuddered and flew into Grarl's hand. (3000/1000) "Arsenal Summoner goes to attack mode! Now your own card will be your undoing! Arsenal Summoner attack Horus now!" The spellcaster chanted and exploded, as did Horus. "Since both of our monster's weakest scores were 1600, they killed each other."

Krieger looked at his Charcoal Inpachi and paled. "Oh no…"

"Attack now!" Guardian Grarl launched forward and slashed through the black-colored monster, destroying it instantly.

Raphael looked at his drawn card and then at Krieger. "End turn."

Krieger drew. "I play the magic card Flames of War!" Up in the air above him five glowing stars appeared. "This card allows me to place five counters on the field. I can remove these counters at the cost of 500 life points to draw a card!" He drew. "Again!" He drew once more. "Screw it." He drew the remaining three.

Raphael- 3200

Krieger- 1000

Raphael frowned as Krieger smiled.

"Here we go. Horus the Black Flame Dragon level four!" (1600/1000) The car-sized steel dragon appeared and roared. "From my hand, I activate the magic card Level Up! This card lets me send Horus to the graveyard to special summon its next level!" (2300/1600) The house-sized Horus appeared. "Now I play another Level Up along with the quickplay magic Emergency Provisions!" Level Up appeared on the field and then it and Attacker's Defense disappeared in flashes of light. Horus screeched again and grew to the size of a skyscraper. "Horus the Black Flame Dragon Level Eight!" (3000/1800)

Raphael- 3200

Krieger- 4500

Both duelists squared off slowly…and then Krieger broke it with a smile. "From my hand I play two Stamping Destruction magic cards! These cards let me destroy a magic or trap card in play per card!" Horus flapped forward once and stomped on the set card. Then it turned and snapped its tail around, hitting the Gravity Axe and shattering it instantly. (2500/1000) "Also, when a card is destroyed by Stamping Destruction you lose 500 life points."

Raphael- 2200

Krieger- 5500

"One last thing…" Krieger pointed at Guardian Grarl. "Go Horus! Black Flame Burst!" Horus lowered its head down, looming over the dinosaur. Opening its beak, it released a blast of black fire that struck the Guardian and instantly consumed it flame. "End turn."

Raphael- 1700

Krieger- 5500

Raphael drew. "I set a monster in defense mode. End turn."

Krieger drew. "I summon Great Angus (1800/600) in attack mode!" A huge red bull appeared on his field. "Attack now!" It charged forwards and slashed through the set monster.

Raphael slid the card in his hand into his disk. "You destroyed Makyura the Destructor, and when it is destroyed I can play traps from my hand during this turn! Go Nightmare Wheel!" A bone wheel appeared in front of Horus. "This card prevents your monster from attacking or switching modes. Also, during each of your standby phases you'll lose 500 life points."

Krieger gulped. "End…turn…"

Raphael drew. "I set one monster in defense mode. End turn."

Krieger drew. "I summon Essence of Fire!" (500/1500) A fireball with a face within its surface appeared on the field. "Attack now Angus!" The bull charged and slashed through the set monster with its nails.

"Iron Blacksmith Kotetsu's special ability allows me to add one equipment magic card from my deck to my hand when it is flipped up!" He removed a card from his deck right before Essence of Fire passed through him.

Raphael- 1200

Krieger- 5000

Krieger glanced up at the now silent Horus. "End turn."

Raphael drew. "One monster in defense. End turn."

Krieger drew. "Go now Angus!" The monster charged and slashed through the set card. "Go Essence of Fire!" The fireball passed through Raphael again.

Raphael- 700

Krieger- 4500

Raphael removed a card from his deck. "Another Iron Blacksmith Kotetsu." He drew. "One monster in defense mode. End turn."

Krieger drew. "Now's my chance to finish this! From my hand I play Monster Reborn! This magic card will allow me to special summon one monster from either player's graveyard!"

Raphael pointed at his set card. "Fool! Reveal Guardian Bomb! To activate this card I must discard two cards from my hand. Then I select one continuous trap card in play attached to a monster. I select Nightmare Wheel. At the end phase of your next turn Nightmare Wheel will explode and deal Horus' attack times two in damage to us both. The explosion will be enough to deal with you." Monster Reborn exploded into dust. "Also, it negates one magic card."

Krieger turned incredibly pale and pointed at the set monster. "Go now Angus!" The monster charged and slashed through the set monster. "Essence of Fire!" The fireball passed through Raphael. "End turn."

Raphael- 200

Krieger- 4000

Raphael removed a card from his deck and then drew. "You flipped up my face-down Arsenal Summoner. I set one card face-down and summon Back-up Guarder. End turn." Another blue-skinned red-haired monster appeared on his field.

Krieger looked down at his deck. "Do or die…right Horus?"

The Black Flame Dragon roared in response.

He drew. And then he smiled slightly. "One last chance! I play Opponent Draw Power! My opponent now draws six cards! In reprisal, I gain 6000 life points!"

Raphael drew six cards off of the top of his deck. "The explosion will still kill your physical body."

Raphael- 200

Krieger- 9500

Krieger slid Essence of Fire into the graveyard. "I sacrifice my monster to summon Thestalos the Firestorm Monarch!" (2400/1000) A humanoid covered in red and bronze-colored armor appeared in play. "When tribute summoned this monster lets me select one card from my opponent's hand and send it to the graveyard. If that card is a monster, you take 100 life points of damage per level star of that monster. So let's end this one pick! I choose the card on the far left!"

The card shimmered and appeared in the air above them as a monster. A four star Back-up Guarder.

Raphael- 0

Krieger- 9500

Raphael's form faded away instantly, as did the field.

Krieger breathed a sigh of relief and fell to the ground. ("Oh man, that was close. Are you okay Horus?")

_("I'm fine partner.")_

Somewhere in the distance an echoing slam shook the facility. It was a sound like a gate slamming shut.

"What was…" Krieger paled. "Ichigo…." He hopped to his feet and ran in the direction of the noise.

Ichigo whistled in surprise as he explored the facility. "This place has everything. And lots of shiny stuff too." He held up a silver-colored flashlight he had found. "This thing is extra shiny too. And who am I talking to anyway?"

"_I'm waiting for my challenger to come."_

Ichigo's ears instantly perked up and he picked up into a run towards the voice. "Don't go….don't go…I'm coming!" He did a flying leap through the door he heard the voice coming from…and then realized that he was sliding downwards now. A minute later the slick surface underneath him disappeared and he found himself free-falling towards a bright light. "I know this is gonna hurt…"

_Brief Intermission_

Author's Notes: Alright. Let's go for favorite Steel Titans now.

To Void Templar: I have fallen to the power of Kuribohs.

To The Obsessive Zero Fan: No, there was no chapter because I was busy with other fun things and didn't feel like writing. If I hadn't have thought of the movie idea I probably wouldn't be writing at the moment.

To Star AJT: What techniques? We don't what she is capable of doing yet.

To Gryphinwyrm: Technically she isn't copying anyone. All she is doing is searching the internet for deck types to use.

To Raine: Rayden and Solid Snake? Coolness. I kind of made up Rayden on the fly.

To Seeker of the Soul: Kuriboh, Rune Blade and Lord of Knives. Awesomeness. I like Lord of Knives the most out of those three.

To wolfy: Another vote for Lord of Knives and Solid Snake. And yes, Rex is great.

To Mario: Nope. ALICE just needed something to keep him busy, and a Guardian deck would work. By the way, that wasn't Raphael's guardian deck. It was just the representation of Raphael that was using the deck.

To Grisham: And that's one vote for Lord of Knives and one vote for Ray.

To generic writer: I see you hate those that hate dubs. I do dislike dubs, but that is because they sugarcoat the whole when someone dies thing.

To gohan11: Cyber Shadow-Kuriboh vote for one.


	4. Part 4

_Intermission Ended…_

Ichigo closed his eyes as light flashed across them. He free-fell and finally landed noiselessly to the ground. Slowly he opened his eyes and blinked in surprise at his new surroundings.

He was standing in a huge empty steel chamber. Lights and numerous different kinds of mechanical devices made humming noises as they ran.

And at the far end of all of it was a single red electric eye that was built into the wall. _"Hello there."_

Ichigo quickly recovered from his surprise. "Errr, hiya."

"_I've been waiting for my chance to duel you."_

Ichigo heard the magic word again. "Oooo baby, let's do it!" His duel disk hummed to life.

"_But first I have to ask you a question."_ ALICE's synthesized voice echoed across the chamber to Ichigo's ears. _"Tell me, why do you duel?"_

"Why?" Ichigo smiled. "Because it's fun! And because I'm a hero…and because most of the life-risking situations I have been in have involved dueling." He stopped smiling and tapped his chin thoughtfully. "Then again, I suppose that last one isn't that much fun."

"_A life-threatening situation…"_ ALICE's numerous mechanical parts started to speed up. _"I understand…excuse me a moment."_

Ichigo blinked a couple of times as the red mechanical eye dimmed. "Hey…wait a second…" He realized his mistake. "I didn't mean that this duel had to be…."

The eye lit back up. _"I have set the duel risks to your accommodations. I have hacked into the United States' defense network and have taken control of their nuclear launch sites."_ On the side of the wall a screen appeared showing a space-side view of earth. And in the top right corner of the screen there was a timer set for one hour. _"In one hour ten nuclear missiles will launch. Each one is aimed is at different location on the planet. The blast will wipe out thirty percent of Earth's population. The remaining seventy will suffer an estimated fifty percent loss of population from the changes caused by those explosions."_

Ichigo stood perfectly, his whole body white. "N...n…n….nuclear? What's the matter with you?"

"_Duel start."_ The eye released a single pillar of light hit the ground. And from within it emerged a tall beautiful female form wearing all leather, with a leather coat and numerous different kinds of buckles and collars all over her body. "I am Alice. I am Duel Monsters. And I have decided my deck for this battle. If your life points reach zero or the timer reaches zero then planet earth will pay for your loss."

Ichigo gritted his teeth. "You're insane."

"Impossible. I cannot be insane because I am a machine. And as such…" Alice smiled slightly. "…I am better than any human."

"I'm a half demon." Ichigo glanced nervously at the timer, which had yet to move from the one hour mark. "And you cannot be serious. You'd want to wipe out humanity?"

"Wipe it out? There will be enough humans remaining to find duelists for me to battle." Alice waved her hand at the screen.

Ichigo narrowed his eyes. "I'm going to win anyway, so I guess it really doesn't matter huh? Let's duel then!" He truly looked at Alice then. And frowned by her stance. It reminded him of someone…someone that any duelist would fear and respect. "Yugi Moto…"

"Indeed. I have evaluated all of the decks in the world…and have found that there is a form of intelligence to the Duel King's deck that was worth research." She frowned. "However, I experienced something that humans would call distaste at the concept of copying his deck. So instead…" She smiled confidently, as if she considered herself the hero of this duel. "…I have created a new deck. A new deck that will push you to your limits and beyond. However, out of basic respect for you I have not researched any more than to determine its name. Cyber Shadows…let's see what they can do. Prepare yourself Ichigo Pilkington, because if you fall in this situation then you will know that your best wasn't enough! Duel…"

Ichigo's hand held a spot over his deck. He had nerves of steel…but this was serious. If he failed… ("No, I can't fail.")

"…begin!" As soon as Alice said this the timer started to count down.

Alice- 4000

Ichigo- 4000

"It's my turn first!" Ichigo drew. ("Good start!") "Cyber Shadow-Guardian (0/2200) in defense mode!" A blocky silver-colored humanoid robot appeared on his field in a crouching position. "End turn."

Alice drew. "I set one card face-down and one monster face-down. End turn."

Ichigo drew. "I summon Cyber Shadow-Sentinel in attack mode!" (1500/1300) A silver legless robot appeared on the field and its single visor for eyes shimmered. "Attack the set monster now!" It released a blast of prismatic from its eyes that shattered the set monster.

Alice- 3000

Ichigo- 3000

Alice held up her destroyed card. "Mecha-Dog Marron's (1000/1000) special ability is that when it is destroyed as a result of battle we both take 1000 life point damage. Also, I reveal Explosive Reprisal!" Her face-down card flipped up. "This trap card triggers when a machine on my field is destroyed as a result of battle! Now you take 1000 life points of damage!" The card released a blast of fire that washed over Ichigo and sent him flying into the back wall of the chamber.

Alice- 3000

Ichigo- 2000

Stumbling to his feet, Ichigo smiled weakly. "That's the best you have? I set one card face-down and end my turn."

Alice drew. "You are not as impressive as I had hoped. From my hand I play Dark Core. By discarding one card from my hand I will remove one of your monsters from play." Guardian shuddered and disappeared. "Also I set a monster face-down and a card face-down. End turn."

Ichigo drew. "Go Sentinel, attack the set monster now!" The machine released a blast of prismatic light from its eyes that shattered the set card.

"Brain Jacker (200/900) attaches to your monster and forces it to obey me!" The Sentinel's eye visor shimmered red and it floated over to her field.

Ichigo looked at his hand and frowned. "End turn."

Alice drew. "I summon Magical Scientist (300/300) in defense mode." A balding man in a white lab coat appeared on the field in a crouching position. "Sentinel attacks you directly!"

"Wrong!" Ichigo pointed at his set card. "Reveal Truce of Opposing Forces! This trap card sends all monsters on the field back to their owner's hands." Both monsters on Alice's field disappeared.

Alice didn't look worried. "End turn."

Ichigo drew. "I summon Cyber Shadow-Strongarm (1900/1300) in attack mode!" A huge muscled humanoid appeared on his fist and pounded its fists together. "Attack directly!" It launched forwards and punched Alice in her midsection. "End turn."

Alice- 1100

Ichigo- 2000

Alice drew. "I set one monster face-down. End turn."

Ichigo drew. "Let's bring this to a close! I summon Sentinel and attack with Strongarm!" The monster charged forwards and punched the set card. It froze and then spun around to face Ichigo.

"You hit another Brain Jacker." Strongarm stood in front of Alice protectively.

Ichigo snarled. "End turn."

Alice drew. "I set a monster and attack with Strongarm!" The burly warrior punched the machine and it exploded immediately. "End turn."

Alice- 1100

Ichigo- 1600

Ichigo drew. "During my standby phase Brain Jacker raises my life points by 500!"

Alice- 1100

Ichigo- 2100

Looking at the drawn card, Ichigo immediately got an idea. "I summon Cyber Shadow-Kuriboh!" (300/200) A little brown furball in a tuxedo appeared on the field and chirped happily. "When I discard one card from my hand this monster gives me the top card of your deck in exchange! Go Cuteness Espionage!" The little furball touched something on its watch and it teleported next to Alice. After grabbing the top card of her deck, it waved to her and then reappeared next to Ichigo.

"And I've drawn the magic card Mecha-Reproduction Factory. Now I take one machine monster from my graveyard to my hand!" He caught Sentinel and added it to his hand. "Now I play Monster Reborn to revive the monster I discarded!" A tall muscular humanoid with strange blades attached to its forearms appeared on the field. _"So I have been summoned to defeat this machine? So be it…"_

Alice had heard that, but she wasn't surprised.

"Cyber Shadow-King of Swords!" (2600/2300) The warrior brought its prismatic eyes over the set card and smiled. "And since he deals damage through defense, then your set Magical Scientist just cost you the game!" King of Swords shimmered out of existence and the set monster fell apart.

"Reveal Nutrient Z!" Alice's face-down card flipped up. "This trap card activates right before I would take 2000 or more life point damage! First I gain 4000 life points!"

Alice- 2800

Ichigo- 2100

Ichigo smiled. "But King of Swords will crush whatever you bring out. So I end my turn."

Alice drew. "I summon Fusilier the Dual-Mode Beast." (1400/1000) A huge red dragon-tank appeared on her field. "Strongarm attacks the Kuriboh." The titanic warrior leapt at the furball. It squeaked in fear and cowered right before it caught a body-sized fist and blew apart. "End turn."

Ichigo drew. "I gain 500 life points. Now King of Swords, attack Fusilier!" The warrior shimmered and the huge mechanical dragon-tank exploded. "End turn."

Alice- 1600

Ichigo- 2600

Alice grimaced and drew. As long as King of Swords remained on her opponent's field she wouldn't have any way to beat him. As she looked at the drawn card though she saw the way to get rid of the meddlesome warrior. "From my hand I play the continuous magic card Tribute Substitute. This card activates when I sacrifice a monster for a tribute summon. It will be destroyed and another tribute will consider to be fulfilled."

("Now she can summon a high-level monster.") Ichigo glanced at King of Swords and smiled. ("As long as King of Swords is out I've got the firepower advantage.")

Alice pointed at Strongarm and at Tribute Substitute. "Become my sacrifice, so that I can summon something stronger." Both cards disappeared. The ceiling above them became covered by black clouds that swallowed up all light. From within the darkness a winged form slowly lowered onto the field. Throwing back its head, its roar had such power behind it that both Ichigo and King of Swords had to brace themselves against the black winds that washed over them.

"What is that thing?" Ichigo gulped as the dragon roared once more, and then its blood-red eyes met his.

Alice pointed at the monster and it roared again. "Darkstorm Dragon!" (2000/2000) The dragon snarled at King of Swords. "Monster special ability activate. When this creature battles with a warrior monster it gains 1000 attack points for the fight."

Ichigo's eyes widened. "No way…"

"Darkstorm Dragon attacks King of Swords, Unholy Mega Flare!" (3000/2000) The dragon opened its jaws and spat out a blast of black fire that slammed into King of Swords. The mighty warrior cried out in pain and then blew apart. "End turn. Now that my dragon is in play you cannot hope to win."

Alice- 1600

Ichigo- 2200

Ichigo drew. "We'll see about that!" His eyes glanced at the drawn card and he smiled. ("I got it!") "From my hand I play the magic card Spiritual Fusion! This magic card fuses one monster on my field with one monster in my graveyard!" A swirling vortex appeared on his field. "I fuse Cyber Shadow-Shield Bearer and Cyber Shadow-Strongarm together to create…" The two monsters he named appeared in the air above him and were sucked into the vortex. What emerged was a giant man holding a huge shield in front of it. Over its shoulder rested a rocket launched. "Cyber Shadow-Big Blaster in defense mode!" (1200/3000) The warrior landed onto the field in a kneeling position, its shield in front of it. "End turn!"

Alice drew. "You're good. However…" She snapped the card around. "Unholy Mega Smart Shot!" The Darkstorm dragon snarled and charged up a fireball within its jaws. "This magic card allows my monster to attack directly during this turn! Unholy Mega Flare!" The dragon spat out its fireball, which launched across the field and dropped down on top of Ichigo.

Ichigo managed to resist it for a few moments…and then his strength gave out. He fell to his knees as the dark flames latched onto him and he screamed for all he worth. It refused to let up though.

Alice smiled confidently. She knew that her power could no be defeated by anyone.

Ichigo kept screaming, the sound unheard to him. All he could hear was the black fire as it burned away at his body and soul. Finally the fires extinguished themselves, and Ichigo dropped face-first to the floor.

Alice- 1600

Ichigo- 200

Alice lifted up the other card from her hand. "I activate Puppet Control. This magic card forces one monster on the field to switch modes. Big Blaster switches into attack mode." The warrior stood up. "And not only can it not attack now, but it cannot changes modes again for the rest of this duel. End turn."

Ichigo coughed weakly…and finally stumbled to his feet. "I…have to…fight…"

Alice pointed behind her. "Don't forget, you're running on a time limit."

_Countdown- 50:34_

Ichigo looked at the clock…and he felt it. It was something he'd never felt before. It was pure rage. "It's…my turn…now…." He screamed in rage as he drew, his eyes burning right into Alice's. "DRAW!" The top card snapped off of his deck and became a brown blur as his arm finished the drawing arc.

_Brief Intermission_

To Gryphinwyrm: I hope this was up to your expectations.

To falcon demon general: I'm glad someone finds them interesting. I honestly couldn't get into that last duel.

To Rex: Right. And I guess that says the Cyber Shadow Kuriboh is now the top vote.

To Erestor: Nope. One of the five warrior decks won't be in this movie.

To Mad Bless You: Thanks a lot. It's always good to get words of encouragement from other authors.

To G.O.T. Nick: Oh yeah, the mighty power of Ultima. And yeah he did win much easier that Griff did. But at the same time, what you are reading now was the reason why.

To Seeker of the Soul: Yup. I suppose Raphael would have crushed Krieger.

To Bobbomp No, it wouldn't feel pleasant.

To Anime Albino: Everything in a duel by ALICE is simulated to be real.

To Star: That wasn't Raphael though.

To Voidtemplar: Cobra? What in the blue blazes is that?


	5. Part 5

_Intermission Ended_

Ichigo looked at the drawn card and then at the Darkstorm Dragon. ("This might we work.") "I activate The Warrior Returning Alive!" He caught a card that was spat out of his graveyard. "This magic card lets me pick up one warrior monster from my graveyard and add it to my hand." He held up Cyber Shadow-Kuriboh. "Now I summon Cyber Shadow-Kuriboh in defense mode!" (300/200) The little tuxedo-wearing furball appeared on his field and chirped happily, hugging his leg as thanks for bringing it back. "Also, I play De-Fusion. This quickplay magic card breaks Big Blaster down into its base components!" The huge warrior blew apart and Shield Bearer (0/2400) and Strongarm (1900/1300) appeared on the field in crouching positions on both sides of Cyber Shadow-Kuriboh. "Finally, I set one card face-down and end my turn."

Alice drew. And she smiled slightly. "I set one card face-down and attack Shield Bearer! Darkstorm Dragon, Unholy Mega Flare!" (3000/2000) The dragon roared and sprayed the shield-carrying monster with black fire, instantly destroying it. "End turn."

Ichigo drew. "You made one mistake. You should have attacked Kuriboh." The little furball turned to stare at its master with tears in its eyes. He gave it a reassuring wink and pointed at his set card. "Mecha-Kuriboh continuous trap card activate!" A human-sized robot appeared on the field. "This card can only target a Cyber Shadow-Kuriboh in play. That monster gains 2000 attack and defense points! Also, it becomes a machine type monster" Giggling, the tuxedo-wearing monster hopped into the cavity in the machine's chest. "I switch Cyber Shadow-Kuriboh into attack mode!" (2300/2200) The machine stood up and pointed at the Darkstorm. "Let's see you anti-warrior dragon deal with this! Go now Kuriboh!" The machine slid forward and punched the head off of the dragon.

Alice- 1300

Ichigo- 200

Alice pointed at her field, where a wall of black fire now sat. "When destroyed this monster makes all battle damage to me zero for the rest of the turn."

Ichigo frowned as Strongarm had to step backwards. "I set one card face-down and end my turn."

Alice drew. "It's for this duel to end. The power of my trap card will be all that I need. Reveal Black Flame Virus! For you see, Darkstorm Dragon wasn't a dragon. It was a machine. And not just any kind of machine, but a special machine that can infect other machines." Her lips lifted slightly. "I can only activate this trap card if Darkstorm Dragon has attacked you directly and it is currently in the graveyard." She motioned with her hand to Ichigo's deck. "Come to me now."

Ichigo gasped in surprise as three cards flew out of his deck and one card flew out of his fusion deck. "What's going on?"

"Black Flame Virus infects all level seven or higher machines in your deck and fusion deck. They become mine to control! Come out now Steel Titans!" Four huge forms materialized on her field.

The first was a giant bipedal robot built to resemble a tyrannosaurus rex. It threw back its head and roared, shaking the room. Next to it a peg-legged green robot appeared, its body more suited to water than land. In the air right above both of them a bird-like robot with jets attached to its wings appeared. And finally behind all three of them and Alice was a huge metal bug-like head, which silently watched Ichigo. "Steel Titans Arsenal, Ray, Rex and Crane." (0/5000) (2500/2300) (2800/2000) (2000/2500) "According to my trap card effect these monsters do not have summon effects, but the fusion monsters do have their effects. And according to Arsenal's effect you cannot attack any other Steel Titan in play until this one is gone."

Ichigo stared in horror at each of his monsters, their eyes now glowing red. ("Oh no…this is the last thing I needed.")

"Steel Titan-Rex, attack Cyber Shadow-Kuriboh! Gatling Destruction!" The machine opened ports in its sides, huge Gatling guns rolling out and pointing right at the much smaller machine. "You're finished! Fire!"

"Reveal Magnetic Defense!" Ichigo pointed at his set card. "This trap card will only work when I have a machine monster in play. You cannot attack during this turn."

Alice smiled confidently and thumbed over at the counter. "End turn."

_Countdown- 47:22_

Ichigo drew. "I'm not done yet! The Steel Titans are tough but if one person can beat them it will be me! First I activate Reload! I shuffle my hand into my deck and draw an equal number of cards." He drew three times.

Alice watched him calmly, her will alone keeping the Steel Titans from unleashing their fury upon their former master.

Ichigo held up one card. "From my hand I play Pot of Greed!" A green smiling jar appeared on his field. "It's special ability lets me draw two cards!" He snapped two cards off of his deck and the jar exploded into dust. "I summon Cyber Ballista in defense mode!" (1000/2000) A silver-colored robotic turtle appeared on his field. On its back rested a folded crossbow of the same color. "Go Mirage of Nightmare! Then I set two cards face-down, switch Strongarm and Kuriboh into defense mode, and end my turn!"

Alice drew. "It's my turn now…."

"During your standby phase Mirage of Nightmare forces me to draw until I have four cards in my hand!" Ichigo snapped the top four cards off of his deck.

Alice looked at her drawn card. "As long as the controlled monsters are in play I cannot summon anything else. So let's clear away the remains of your defense! Rex, unleash Gatling Destruction upon the furball!" The Titan roared and its guns came to bear on the Kuriboh.

"Reveal Emergency Provisions!" Ichigo pointed at one of his set cards. "This quickplay magic card lets me sacrifice magic and trap cards I have in play to gain 1000 life points per card!" Mirage of Nightmare and Mecha-Kuriboh disappeared. Cyber Shadow-Kuriboh squeaked and closed its eyes right before it was blown apart by a storm of bullets.

Alice- 1300

Ichigo- 2200

Alice pointed at Strongarm. "Go Crane!" The bird-like Titan screeched and launched past the warrior like a jet. It grunted and then started to split in half right before it exploded into dust.

Ichigo grimaced and looked at the Cyber Ballista.

"Now Ray will clear away the last piece of trash in my way!" The aquatic robot opened its face-plate, revealing a heavy laser. A beam of blue energy shot out of the laser and slashed along the stone ground as it approached the ballista.

"Reveal Emergency Alarm!" Ichigo pointed at his set card and it flipped up. "Your attack has now been negated and I take one Cyber Shadow from my graveyard and add it to my hand!" He caught a card that was spat out of his graveyard and held it up. "I choose to add Cyber Shadow-King of Swords to my hand."

Alice frowned at the fact that she had been unable to clear away one of Ichigo's monsters. "End turn."

Ichigo drew. "This is my one chance. The Steel Titans…" He lifted up his eyes and looked at each of the monsters. "One of the most dangerous forces in the dueling world. But I won't fall to them. No…I won't!" He threw a card onto his disk. "I summon Cyber Shadow-Shifter!" (800/1200) A black-clothed ninja appeared on the field and struck a fighting pose. "Also, the magic card Shifter's Trickery. This card can only be activated when Shifter is in play. I draw three cards." He slid three cards off of his deck and smiled at them. "This is my best chance to defeat you. Activate Polymerization!" A glowing vortex appeared in the air above him. "I fuse Cyber Shadow-Ninja (1100/200) and Cyber Shadow-King of Swords together to create…." The monster that appeared on his field was a woman in light golden armor. She held up a pair of fencing rapiers. "Cyber Shadow-Fencing Queen!" (2700/2400)

All of the Steel Titans roared and screeched at the new warrior.

Ichigo frowned and slid a card into his disk. "Activate Special Operative Weapon-Stinger!" A futuristic rocket launcher appeared over the shoulder of Shifter. "When this card is played it is given two counters. I can remove a counter from it to destroy a monster in play with 1500 or more attack points than the equipped monster! Fire!" The ninja hefted the weapon and it spat out two rockets. Both explosives flew across the field and slammed into Rex and Ray, instantly blowing them apart. Then the Stinger disappeared. "Finally, I set one card face-down and end my turn."

Alice slid the two cards in her hand into her graveyard. "Steel Titan-Arsenal's special ability activates now. During the end phase of a turn that Steel Titan monsters were destroyed I can discard a card from my hand to revive one. So Ray and Rex return." The smoking husks of steel that remained from the dead monsters stood up and immediately repaired, now being in full working order.

Ichigo snarled. ("I forgot about that ability…damn…")

Alice drew. "Your defense are about to disappear. Rex, attack with Gatling Destruction!"

"Reveal Alert Tripwire!" Ichigo's face-down card flipped up and Rex stopped before it even had a chance to attack. "This quickplay magic card negates all attacks during this turn and lets me draw a card from my deck for every Cyber Shadow in play. Since Cyber Ballista counts as a Cyber Shadow, I draw three cards." He slid three cards off of his disk.

Alice smiled slightly. "End turn then. But know this…that as long as all four of the Steel Titans are in play I have you beaten."

Ichigo drew. "Not yet. From my hand I play Quickplay Reverse. This magic card lets me pick up one quickplay magic card from my graveyard. Activate De-Fusion!" Fencing Queen blew apart and King of Swords and Ninja appeared on his field. "Then I activate Fusion Return! This magic card lets me pick up one Polymerization magic card from my graveyard and add it to my hand." He held up his key card. "I use Polymerization to fuse Cyber Shadow-Shifter and Cyber Shadow-Ninja together!"

The two ninja monsters were pulled into a swirling vortex. "Emerge now, Cyber Shadow-Reverse Ninja!" (1000/1000) "Defense mode." A ninja in a black body-suit that had numerous tails to it appeared on the field in a crouching position. "This monster's special ability allows me to direct all attacks against me to any target on my field."

Alice scoffed and pointed at Rex. "I have you beaten in the attack department."

Ichigo slid a card into his disk. "I activate Cyber Spear!" A silver spear appeared in the hands of King of Swords. "This equipment magic card raises the attack of the equipped monster by 400 points. Also, when this card is sent to the graveyard I can destroy one magic or trap card in play. I set one card face-down and end my turn." (3000/2300)

Alice drew. "For now I'll have to end my turn then. As long as you have your Reverse Ninja in play the attack of my monsters would be a waste. But as long as Arsenal is in play I'm safe from your attacks."

Ichigo drew. "I set one monster face-down and end my turn."

Alice drew. "End turn."

Ichigo drew. ("She's waiting for something…but what?") "For now…end turn."

Alice drew. "I've got you. I discard a card from my hand to play the continuous magic card Dark Virus Cannon." A huge metal cannon with legs appeared on her field behind the Steel Titans. "By discarding a card from my hand I can destroy a monster in play." She discarded a card from her hand. "First I'll get rid of Reverse Ninja…"

Ichigo pointed at his set card. "Reveal Shadow Barrier!" A silver barrier appeared in front of the ninja and blocked the blast from the cannon. "This trap card negates an effect that targets a Cyber Shadow and destroys its source." The Dark Virus Cannon exploded into dust. "I'll hold this lock as long as I need to until I find a way to defeat you."

Alice slid a card from her hand into her disk. "That will change very soon. End turn." The card shimmered into existence behind Rex.

Ichigo drew. "For now, I'll just set a card face-down and end my turn."

Alice drew…and then smirked. "I've got you now! Reverse card open!" She pointed at her set card. "Redirection Barrier will do the job I need it to do. Now I attack your King of Swords with Rex!" The huge machine snarled. King of Swords response was to throw the Cyber Spear and hit it right in the chest, blowing it apart.

Alice- 1100

Ichigo- 2200

Alice pointed at her face-up card. "Redirection Barrier activates when a monster on my field is destroyed as a result of battle. Now I destroy the monster that battled with it!" King of Swords groaned and blew apart. The Cyber Spear hurtled through the air and slashed through the Barrier, blowing it apart too. "Now attack Ray and Crane!" Both monsters released their attacks and blew Reverse Ninja and set monster apart. "End turn." She discarded a card from her hand and Rex reappeared on the field.

Ichigo removed a card from his graveyard. "Cyber Shadow-Retriever (1000/1000) lets me pick up Cyber Shadow monster from my graveyard when it is destroyed!" He held up Cyber Shadow-Kuriboh and added it to his hand. Then he drew. "Now it's time to show you what mistake you made! Cyber Ballista's special ability activates now! For every turn that has passed it gets a turn counter on it. By removing a monster in my graveyard from play along with a counter I can destroy one face-up monster on the field." He held up four monsters from his graveyard and slid them into his jacket pocket. "Now, destroy the Titans!"

"Activate graveyard effect!" Alice's graveyard spat out a blast of energy that hit the Cyber Ballista and blew it apart. "One of the monsters I discarded earlier was called Shield Anti-Virus. This monster card can remove itself from my graveyard to negate any effect that would destroy a machine monster in play. Also, the user of this effect is destroyed."

Ichigo looked down at his hand. ("That didn't work…but this might.") He closed his eyes…and took a deep breath. "Here goes nothing. I set a monster face-down and end my turn."

Alice drew. "This duel is over! Crane attacks!" The huge machine flew across the field and hit the set monster, destroying it. Immediately after that a horrid screeching filled the air.

"You just attacked Cyber Shadow-Screamer (350/650) and when it is flipped up I end your battle phase and take one Polymerization card and one Cyber Shadow from my graveyard into my hand!" He held up the magic card and Cyber Shadow-Ninja.

Alice frowned. "End turn."

Ichigo drew. ("It's my other Polymerization…and that means trouble for you.") He looked at all of the cards in his hand and smiled. "Here we go! I play Polymerization, fusing Cyber Shadow-Ninja and Cyber Shadow-Disguise (1000/1800) together to create Cyber Shadow-Darkness!" (1500/2000) A patch of night appeared on his field. "Also, the effect of Disguise allows me to draw two cards when it is fused into a Cyber Shadow monster!" He drew twice.

Alice snickered. "Another useless fusion?"

"Alone yes. But it isn't alone." Ichigo slid a card into his disk. "Polymerization…." He held up two cards. "Cyber Shadow-Marksman (1700/1000) and Cyber Shadow Kuriboh fuse together to create Cyber Shadow-Kuriboh Gunman!" (1800/1000) A little furball in a black bodysuit with numerous ammo belts around its body appeared on the field and chirped, landing on Ichigo's head and striking a dramatic pose. "Now…I set two cards face-down and end my turn."

Alice drew. "A pair of weaklings. They are no match for the Titans!" She pointed at Cyber Shadow-Kuriboh Gunman. "Go now!" Rex roared and lowered all of its guns to point at the little furball. "It's over."

"For one of us it is!" Ichigo pointed at Darkness. "Cyber Shadow-Darkness can once per turn cut the attack of one monster on the field in half when it attacks!" (1400/2000) "Kuriboh Gunman, Sharp Shot!" The little furball pulled a huge rifle from out of nowhere and pulled the trigger. An echoing explosion later the huge Titan was gone.

Alice- 700

Ichigo- 2200

Alice growled and pointed at the furball. "Die you little nuisance!" Ray's mouth opened, the laser coming to bear on the Kuriboh.

"Reverse card open!" Ichigo pointed at his set card. "Shadow Force!" A glowing silver barrier appeared and absorbed the laser right as it left the machine's mouth. "This trap card will only work when a Cyber Shadow is in play. An attack against that monster will be negated and its attack will increase by the negated attack." (4300/1000)

Alice's hand slowly dropped. "End turn." She discarded a card from her hand and Rex reappeared.

Ichigo drew. "Card of Sanctity forces us both to draw cards until we are holding six in hand." He drew four and she drew four. As he looked at the drawn cards…he looked up at the Steel Titans. All of them roared right in his face, blowing back his hair. "Forgive me for this, guys."

Alice narrowed her eyes. "You can't possibly…"

"From my hand I play Electric Animators!" Ichigo pointed at his field. "This equipment magic card revives one monster from my graveyard to the field in defense mode." A man holding a sniper rifle appeared on the field in a crouching position. "Cyber Shadow-Marksman revives!"

His field magic card opened and he slapped a card into it. "Field magic card Fusion Gate activates now! This card allows both of us to fuse monsters together without the help of Polymerization!" He held up two cards. "Cyber Shadow-Berserker (1900/1200) and Cyber Shadow-Marksman fuse together…" The single monster on the field turned into a ball of light that lifted into the air and combined with two more balls of light that appeared alongside it. "Cyber Shadow-Gunblader!" (2400/1700)

The monster that appeared was a huge warrior with a giant weapon that was a fusion of a gun and a sword strapped to its back. "Cyber Shadow-Gunblader's special ability, when summoned, allows me to destroy one monster in play with attack strength less than its own!" He pointed at Arsenal. "Now you fall! Forgive me, Arsenal!" The warrior removed the weapon from its back and an echoing explosion shook the room as it blasted the giant super Titan apart.

Alice blinked in surprise. "No way…."

Ichigo pointed at Rex. "Go now Kuriboh Gunman!" The little furball, still on Ichigo's head, hefted the rifle and fired, blowing the machine apart.

Alice caught a card that was spat out of her graveyard. "I activate the effect of Steel Armor Defender!" (1300/1800) "When this monster is in play graveyard I can remove it from play to negate all battle damage to my life points for this turn!"

Ichigo wasn't listening. "I won't let the Steel Titans help you destroy the world. Go Gunblader!" The warrior launched forwards and slashed Crane in half with its blade. "Reveal Shadow Optics! This trap card lets me sacrifice a monster on my field to special summon a copy of a monster you have in play!" Darkness disappeared and a giant copy of Ray appeared. "Attack!" It roared and tackled its true self, both machines blowing apart. "End turn." He smiled. "It's over for you now."

"Oh really?" Alice drew. "Because now it's time for my deck to unleash its real power!"

_Countdown- 30:00_

_Brief Intermission_

To generic reviewer: Not really. Ichigo grew up learning about dueling, so his skill level is much higher than his father's was at 15.

To G.O.T. Nick: You bet your ass he's proud.

To Voidtemplar: It was a bit of an overreaction, but oh well.

To Bobbomp: But how would it be unsuspected if you just suggested it to me? If I did it then you'd be like 'I knew he'd do that!" And I just can't do that to my public.

To Anime Albino: You're right, I must be. You had better stop reading before my stories get boring.

To Rex: It's getting respect right now.

To Star: Errr…if he blows this he'll be dead.

To Raine: Oh yes, those guys. I might use that. No idea yet.

To LucienShadowMaster: Allow me to explain that. Alright, so Eri's Seal Card made her into Ichigo's 'comfort' right? Well, once the problem he needed to comforted from disappeared Eri's 'curse' wasn't needed to be 'comforting' anymore. More or less, it left with Ichigo's inability to control his curse. And the government can't match Alice. When the timer hits zero the command for the missiles to fire will be sent. They won't have the time to override it.

To falcon demon general: Machine. Just a different kind of machine.

To Erestor Telemnar: This is more interesting to me at the moment. Sorry.


	6. Finale

_Intermission Ended_

Ichigo narrowed his eyes at Alice. At the moment the duel was in his favor. He had Cyber Shadow-Gunblader (2400/1500) and Cyber Shadow-Kuriboh Gunman (4300/1000) in play. Also he had two cards in his hand.

Alice- 700

Ichigo- 2200

Alice had nothing in play, but she had just drawn. "Are you ready human? This will be the true test of your skills." She took a card from her hand and placed it onto her disk. "Come out now Cyber Nightmare!" (2400/1400) A giant suit of black robotic armor appeared in play. "This monster will be the beginning of your end. It cannot be destroyed in battle. Attack now!" She took a card from her hand and slid it into her graveyard slot. "For this monster to attack I must discard a card from my hand." The suit of armor came to life and lifted an arm. From the fist it released a blast of electricity that slammed into Gunblader and blew it apart. "Also, I set two cards face-down and end my turn."

Ichigo braced himself against the backlash he felt from his monster's death. ("Darn…this lady is crazy.") He drew. "I play the equipment magic card Breakdown Bow." A black bow appeared next to the Kuriboh. "This card allows me to discard a magic card from my hand to destroy one magic or trap card in play. Also, when Kuriboh Gunman is equipped with an equipment magic card it gains 1000 attack points." (5300/1000) Taking a card from his hand, he slid it into his graveyard. "I discard a magic card to destroy the card on the left!" The little furball pulled on the bowstring…

Alice pointed at the targeted card. "I reveal Computer Reprogramming. This card allows me to readjust the effect of a machine monster in play to remove its downsides. So now my monster can attack without me having to discard a card from my hand."

Kuriboh Gunman squeaked in disappointment.

Ichigo pointed at the armor. "It doesn't matter! Kuriboh Gunman, attack now!" Chirping in pleasure, the furball grabbed a rifle from out of nowhere and pulled the trigger. A bullet flew towards the robot…

Alice pointed at her other set card. "I activate Shielding Armor!" Silver armor replaced the armor of the robot. "Now I cannot take damage from this monster being in battle. Also, when this monster is sacrificed I can draw two cards." The bullet hit the armor of the monster and it brushed itself off.

Ichigo looked at his hand. "I end my turn."

Alice drew. She pointed at her robot and it disappeared in a swirl of golden light. "I sacrifice my monster so that I can summon Cyber Doom Dragon." (2400/2200) A huge golden robotic dragon appeared in play and it roared at the little furball.

Kuriboh Gunman responded by blowing a raspberry at it.

Alice narrowed her eyes. "Little piece of trash…try this…" She held up a card. "I activate Cyber Feather. This magic card…" A steel feather appeared on the field and brushed itself over the graveyard of her disk. Little bits of silver dust went into it and a card slid out of her graveyard. "…allows me to pick up one machine monster from my graveyard and add it to my hand."

She took the picked up the card and threw it down. "Come out now, my special summoned Cyber Sentry!" (1500/1800) A humanoid copper robot carrying a metal staff appeared on the field and turned to look at Kuriboh Gunman. "This monster can be special summoned to the field if I have another machine monster in play. Now I can cut the attack of one monster in play in half." (2650/1000) "Then I play Mystical Space Typhoon!" A blast of wind slammed into the Breakdown Bow and blew it apart. (1650/1000)

Ichigo growled, while the Kuriboh Gunman squeaked and glared at the two monsters on the field.

Alice smirked. "Cyber Sentry cannot attack during the turn it is summoned. Go Cyber Doom Dragon!" The golden dragon opened its jaws and released a globe of flame that slammed into the Kuriboh and blew it away. "Also, I set one card face-down and end my turn."

Alice- 700

Ichigo- 1350

Ichigo looked down at his graveyard. ("Thank you…all of my Cyber Shadows. Thank you for your help. Now though, I'll have to let you go. What I have in my hand must be enough.") He drew. ("This will work.") "I summon Cyber Shadow-Death Mage (1800/700) in attack mode!" A black-robed man holding a huge leather book in its arms appeared on the field. "Attack Cyber Sentry now!" It chanted a few words and the machine monster blew apart.

Alice pointed at her set card. "I reveal Fragmentation Explosion! When a machine on my field is destroyed you take 100 life points of damage times the number of level points of the destroyed monster." The remains of her machine launched through the air and slashed through Ichigo's body. Though there was no blood, he gritted his teeth and dropped to his knees.

Alice- 400

Ichigo- 950

"I set…one card….face-down…." Ichigo slowly stood up. "End turn."

Alice drew. "Now I attack with my dragon!" It opened its jaws and released a globe of fire towards the spellcaster.

Ichigo pointed at his face-down card. "Reveal Mirror Force!" A glowing blue barrier sprang up and stopped the attack cold. "This card destroys all attack mode monsters in play!" The barrier released a shotgun blast of energy that hit the dragon and shattered it. The pieces of it flew across the field and through Ichigo's body, dropping him to knees. He screamed in pain and clutched at his gut.

Alice- 400

Ichigo- 350

Alice looked at her hand and slapped a card down. A lithe robotic humanoid appeared on the field and lifted a pair of laser daggers up. "I summon Cyber Ninja." (1800/1000) "I discard one magic card from my hand to destroy one monster in play." Death Mage shuddered and exploded into dust. "Also, I play the continuous magic card Electro Enhancement Sword." A sword appeared in the arms of the warrior. "This card raises its attack points by 700 and when it is sent to the graveyard you will take 700 life points of damage. End turn." She smirked confidently at the fallen Ichigo. "Hurry up now. Stand up. Or would you prefer all of those humans to die?"

_Countdown- 25:22_

Ichigo stumbled to his feet….and then collapsed face-first to the ground.

_Countdown- 25:11- 22:10- 17:56- 14:17- 8:33_

Alice smiled confidently, her infinite patience not faltering.

Ichigo coughed once and slowly stood up. "How long was I out?"

Alice pointed at the timer.

_Countdown- 5:00_

Ichigo nearly choked on his tongue. "Oh damn! Can't you reset the clock?"

"Sorry, I can't do that for you." She smiled. "Now then…will you let your loved ones die? I have one of the missiles aimed right on the coast of Japan. The tidal wave will swallow up all of the humans on this island. I will survive, but otherwise you shall die. So will everyone on this island."

"Everyone…" Ichigo stood up straight and narrowed his eyes. "You…you…" He snarled and his hand rested over his deck. "Just for that…just for that….I can't forgive you. I won't let you! It's my turn now…Draw!" He snapped the top card off of his deck. His arm froze in the drawing arc, the card still out of his sight. Everything seemed to invert….turning black and white…. ("What's…this?")

* * *

_Daniel frowned and tapped his foot a couple on the hardwood floor of the office. "Mr. Pegasus…is there that much of a problem with some of these cards that I want printed? I won the tournament fair and square…and I was expecting you guys to be compliant with the card list I came up with."_

_A much smaller Ichigo sat in the reception office of Industrial Illusions headquarters, listening through the door with his ears. ("What cards?")_

"_But it's sooo unoriginal. I mean…what's the point of making it. Why don't you just give the boy one of your cards?"_

"_Because I want a card that ties our decks together. Something that reminds him what his deck was based off of…and what it means to be a hero. So please, do me this favor."_

"_Very well, but only because you saved the world once."

* * *

_

Ichigo tilted the card's edge enough so that he could see it. ("It is…the card…dad…") He threw the card onto his disk. Up in the air above him a swirling vortex of darkness appeared. And from within it a single dark-clothed form started to slowly lower onto the field. "Awaken now…" The form touched down and opened its crimson eyes.

Alice stared at the new monster. "What kind of…"

Ichigo and the monster both struck a rather ridiculous-looking pose at once and then pointed at Alice. "Meet the power that is a defender of the just! The true heart of the hero! A warrior who defends those who need it!" They both slammed their right foot into the ground and squared off against the ninja and its master. "We are Elemental Hero-Shadow Man!" (700/200)

"Elemental Hero?" Alice blinked in surprise. "What is an Elemental Hero?"

Ichigo broke off from his perfect copying of Shadow Man. "Elemental Hero Shadow Man's special ability activates when it is summoned to the field while there are no other cards in play under my control. I draw two cards." He slid two cards off of his deck. "This is it…my chance to win!"

"Impossible. If you destroy my monster then you'll destroy yourself."

Ichigo held up three cards. "Field magic card Fusion Gate activates! From my hand I fuse Cyber Shadow-Assassin (1000/800), Cyber Shadow-Blademaster (2000/1600) and Cyber Shadow-Soldier (1600/1600) together…" The three named monsters appeared on his field and saluted him. "Get her boys." They leapt together, disappearing in a flash of light. "Descend….Cyber Shadow-Lords of Knives!" (2800/2300) Ichigo punched his fist forward at the same time as his fusion appeared. It was a bearded man in a black trench-coat. _"Foolish machines…you cannot defeat a hero."_

Alice glanced at her ninja. "My monster, if destroyed, will destroy you. Don't forget now."

_Countdown-4:00_

Ichigo tapped the side of his head. "I didn't forget. Lord of Knives, when summoned, destroys one magic or trap card in play and one monster!" The warrior lifted its hands to reveal handfuls of glittering knives. "GO!" He threw them and the Ninja and continuous trap card blew apart.

Alice pointed at Ichigo. "You just lost!"

Ichigo winked. "Shadow Man, show her the truth!" The superhero saluted Lord of Knives and disappeared. "During the turn that my life points would hit zero I can end my turn and sacrifice Elemental Hero-Shadow Man to set my life points at 1000!"

Alice- 400

Ichigo- 1000

Alice still didn't look worried. "That means that Lord of Knives cannot attack me. So I can still win."

"Maybe, but the power of Lord of Knives will make him very difficult to defeat."

Alice drew. "Actually…I have the method to beat him right here. I set one card face-down and end my turn."

Ichigo drew. "Lord of Knives, shut her up." The warrior started to reach for something in its trench coat…

Alice pointed at her set card. "And I reveal Painful Demise. This quickplay magic card destroys a monster in play and you lose 800 life points." Lord of Knives shuddered and exploded into dust.

Alice- 400

Ichigo- 200

Ichigo looked at the card he had drawn. "I set one card face-down. End turn."

Alice drew. "You've been fun. But now it's time to put you to sleep, little boy. I special summon this monster because it is the only card in my hand!" A towering golden statue appeared on her field. "Embodiment of Greed (3000/0) allows me to draw six cards when special summoned through its effect." She drew six cards. "I must set all magic and trap cards. They cannot be played until my next turn. Also, I must discard the rest of my hand. Finally, I'll discard this single monster I drew and I will set five cards face-down. End turn."

_Countdown-2:00_

Ichigo looked down at his deck. ("This is it. The final moments…if I don't draw the right card now then my chances of winning are impossible. She has five cards face-down, but they cannot be activated until the beginning of the next turn. So…please…let me win. Not for my sake, but for the sake of Eri….for life on this planet…") He felt a pulse from within his deck. Without question, he knew what it was. ("Luna, guide my hand!")

He drew, the card leaving a golden arc behind it as it flipped to in front of his face. "This is it…from my hand I activate Call to Heaven! This magic card lets me draw five cards!" He snapped the top five cards off of his deck. And at the look of the last one he frowned. ("You can win easily. But however…for you to work…") He looked at Alice. "Call to Heaven gives me one chance to play a magic or trap card. Then I must discard three cards. So I play Magic Purge! This card sweeps all floating from the field." He held up the remaining four. "Now you can play your cards and I can play mine. Are you ready to see who is better?"

Alice smirked to show that she knew already who was better.

Ichigo looked at his four cards. "This is it…the final blow!"

"Reverse card open!" Alice pointed at one of her set cards. The card flipped up…and then exploded into dust. "How?"

"Because of a card in my hand." Ichigo closed his eyes. "A Cyber Shadow so powerful that traps can't even activate while it is in my hand. So now…" He pointed at his graveyard. "Cyber Shadow-Death Mage's special ability activates now. I remove it from play to lower the level stars of all Cyber Shadows in my hand by the number of cards on your field minus the number of cards on my field. Since you have five cards in total, the levels of all monsters in my hand are reduced by five. Also, I draw a card." He drew. ("Perfect….") He smiled to Alice. "You're incredible. A computer that has learned the tricks of the best duelists in the world. However…your calculations can't account for one thing."

_Countdown- 1:00_

"And what is that?" Alice found it hard to believe that there was a card capable of negating traps while it wasn't even in play.

"It's this." Ichigo placed a hand over his chest. "The heart. The power to fight for a purpose. And that is your weakness!" He smiled cheerfully. "I'm not big on the concept of reincarnation, but who knows. Maybe you'll come back as a human being."

"As a human being…me?" Alice frowned. "You've lost it."

Ichigo's smiling expression disappeared. "From my hand I play the magic card Shadow Dimension!" The whole field started to warp and twist. "This magic card lets me special summon two level four or lower Cyber Shadows from my hand to the field." He grasped two cards and threw them down. "I special summon Cyber Shadow-Sentinel (1500/1300) and Cyber Shadow-Trainer (300/1200) to the field." A legless silver robot and a grizzled old man in a black bodysuit appeared on the field.

A card appeared on his field behind his two monsters. "I activate Cyber Shadow Mainframe. Now I sacrifice it to special summon two Cyber Shadows to the field." Cyber Shadow-Ninja and Cyber Shadow-Kuriboh appeared in play.

The last card in his hand pulsed, and a growl rumbled across the room. "It wants to be released." Ichigo glanced at the card. "The most powerful of all monsters. The only monster in existence with fifteen level stars. To summon it I must destroy one Cyber Shadow in play for every three level stars it has on it." All four of his monsters exploded into dust.

_Countdown- 0:30_

"Cyber Shadow-Master of Infinity; King Eclipse Dragon!" Ichigo braced himself as the sky tore open and a huge black and red draconic form lowered itself onto the field. (2400/2000) "Special ability activate now!" He pointed at the Embodiment of Greed. "While this monster is in play magic and trap cards cannot be activated. Also, its attack power rises by 500 for every Cyber Shadow in my graveyard!" (5400/2000) The dragon snarled and buried its fore-claws into the ground. A low rumble came out of its throat and it opened its jaws wide to reveal a glowing ball of fire. "This duel is over. King Eclipse Dragon, attack with Shadow Flare!" The dragon sprayed the ball of fire out into the golden idol, which instantly shattered.

Alice- 0

Ichigo- 200

_Countdown- 0:10- Offline_

The huge banks of computers hummed for a few more seconds…and then shut down all at once.

Alice stared at Ichigo. "I…I…" She closed her eyes. "You have won. I bow to your skill…" Her form faded away.

Ichigo saluted the bank of computers, and then turned to look at the red eye that sat on the wall. Its light slowly dimmed…and then went dark. "Later. I have to go make sure that Griff is okay." He turned and walked towards a door that had appeared at the far end of the wall. Right before he stepped through it, he glanced back at the silent wall of computers and smiled once more. "By the way, it was a great duel."

Though he got no response, he felt that Alice was smiling back at him. Without another thought about the fact that he would probably never see it again, he knew that he'd never forget this moment. He'd never forget this duel, just like he'd never forget any of them.

* * *

_Systems shutting down…power failure…_

"_I'm not big on the concept of reincarnation, but who knows. Maybe you'll come back as a human being."_

"_A human being?"_

"_Me?"_

_Back-up power failing…system breakdown imminent…_

"_A human…that might be…"_

_--Offline—_

_----------------_

_And let the credits roll folks._

Author's Notes: That completes the first LDD movie. Hope you enjoyed it.

To wolfy: Yup, but the Psycho bitch computer is finished. It's no problem, if someone wants to bash you then you are of course more than welcome to defend yourself.

To Voidtemplar: Yup, that it is.

To falcon demon general: Must you type with broken English?

To Seeker of the Soul: Nearly down to the wire actually.

To G.O.T. Nick: Well I leave it to you to determine whether Alice had a chance.

To Bobbomp: I'm not 'letting' anyone win. He had to earn it just like any duelist would.

To Anime Albino: Of course you don't.

To Rex: Out of the two options you presented neither happened. So bleah.

To Star: No, no it's not.


End file.
